Designers

Freelancers Should Consider Themselves Entrepreneurs

WRITERS. DESIGNERS. It doesn’t really matter whether you became a freelancer by choice or “accidentally” (through downsizing). To make the most of this career phase, treat your freelance business like a real business. That means having strategies for attracting clients, managing productivity, pricing your services, hiring and orienting employees, maintaining cash flow, marketing your services, closing the sale, serving your customers, and planning for growth.

As a freelancer myself, I hadn’t really given these issues much thought until I attended the free conference celebrating International Freelancers Day on September 23.

Like other women, I have freelanced at different stages of my career—first, as a young mother balancing work and family and now as a “maturing” single woman/displaced magazine editor striving to finish my writing career more like I had originally envisioned. My freelance business plans have been complicated by how radically the world, publishing and communications technology, and the economy have changed since my first go-round with freelancing. (Back then, the “World Wide Web” had just been introduced and the Apple IIci computer was state-of-the-art in ad agencies).

So, I was happy to attend the International Freelancers Day Conference organized by Ed Gandia and his partners at The International Freelancers Academy. The content was so relevant and inspiring that I gladly spent $29 to buy the post-conference package of session transcripts, audio recordings, and video replays.

After reviewing the sessions, I was struck by how well-balanced the content was. The 20-minute online videos were presented by a stellar mix of book authors, entrepreneurs, design-firm owners, bloggers, motivational speakers, and financial experts. They highlighted the many different ways freelancers could attain greater financial success by being more entrepreneurial in their thinking. Below are just a few themes that caught my attention.

Make Marketing Less of a Chore

Let’s face it. Freelancers often let marketing lapse when we get busy. This is partly because we tend to feel uncomfortable hyping ourselves or closing the sale. Or, we fear getting flooded with more work than one person can reasonably handle. Many conference speakers emphasized that marketing doesn’t have to be painful, if you do it in a way that feels authentic.

Do work you are passionate about. “Passion is the fuel to creativity,” says Peleg Top, author of the soon-to-be-released book “Designing Abundance: A Creative Guide to High Growth.” Doing work you are passionate about will motivate you to do more work: “It will motivate you to grow your business and do the things that you need to do to grow your business.” When you can express your passion through your marketing, “you start attracting and winning the kind of clients” who will respect your passion.

Carve out a niche. “When you’re really good at what you do, or you have a niche that few others can claim, the marketing that you do will be more productive because repeat business and referrals will come naturally,” explained Peter Bowerman, author of “The Well-Fed Writer.” That means you will have to do less marketing on an ongoing basis. This is particularly true if you can carve out a niche where few others are operating. As Bowerman puts it, “The narrower niche, the less necessary it is to be the best writer in the business.”

Another advantage of having a niche, says Rebecca Matter of American Writers & Artists, Inc., is that you can work smarter and faster because you won’t face a brand-new learning curve with every project you undertake. Plus, you can build on the work and research that you’ve done for one project, and turn it into another project for another client.

Dedicate time every day to marketing yourself or building your business. It can be as simple as following up with a potential client, adding a new sample to your website, or writing a blog post, says Matter. “It can take you ten minutes, but try to get in the habit of doing one thing every day that will help build your business.”

Establish Financial Security

Several sessions provided tips for pricing your work and raising your rates as demand for your services grow. Others addressed the issue of financial security in more general terms.

Build on your strengths. “Competence is at the heart of freelance security,” stated Peter Bowerman. He pointed out that a well-established freelance practitioner who has a “diversified portfolio” of clients and multiple revenue streams can feel far more secure than a salaried employee these days.

Set up three online bank accounts for (1) tax money, (2) retirement savings, and (3) emergencies. Keep these three accounts separate from the standard bank account you maintain for everyday spending, said Denise Kiernan, co-author of “The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed.” She recommended having an ATM card only for your everyday spending account: “Try to throw up as many obstacles as possible between you and the money you’ve put away in savings.”

Join Forces with Other Freelancers

The conference highlighted online resources through which we can connect with other freelancers who can help us build “virtual teams” for different project assignments or workloads. As Sean Hedge of FreelanceSwitch puts it, “It may feel like freelancing is a solo mission, but there is a whole ecosystem we can tap into to grow our businesses, and there are clear advantages to doing so,”

Do not hire someone just like you. Hire someone with complementary skills, advises Mike McDerment, the entrepreneur who founded FreshBooks online invoicing service for solopreneurs. “Bring in people who are going to enable you to do more of what you are good at and comes easily to you.”

Streamline employee training. In his presentation on “How to Profitably Grow Beyond a Business of One,” Hedge suggested documenting guidelines and procedures so each new hire and project partner can get up to speed quickly. Then, you don’t have to spend a lot of time verbally repeating the same instructions to each new person you work with.

Take Risks

If your niche begins to feel boring and repetitive, don’t be afraid to take some risks.

Go after projects you think you’re unqualified for. “The most important projects you’ll ever do are the ones who get you noticed and make you feel fulfilled,” says Tyler Tervooren in his presentation “Smart Risk-Taking for Savvy Freelancers.” Although it’s natural to want to feel comfortable with the work you’re doing, Tervooren noted that “Comfort doesn’t propel a career, and it doesn’t prepare you for bigger and better things.” If you step out of your comfort zone, you’ll probably be highly motivated to get the job done right.

Say no to projects that won’t get you closer to your goals. “It’s hard to say no to guaranteed money, but it is absolutely essential to do so if you ever want to focus your business on something meaningful to you and get known for the type of work you actually want to do,” says Tervooren.

If you missed the 2011 International Freelancer’s Day Conference, you can visit the Facebook page for updates on next year’s event. Or, check out some of the same kinds of training videos that will be presented year-round through The International Freelance Academy.

Onlne Resources

International Creative Freelancers Day
(Sign up for e-mail new about the 2012 event)

The International Freelancers Academy

American Artists & Writers

FreelanceSwitch.com

Advanced Riskology: Better Living Through Uncertainty

Books

The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman

The Wealthy Freelancer by Ed Gandia, Steve Slaunwhite, and Pete Savage

The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed by Joseph D’Angneses and Denise Kiernan

RELATED POST

Conference Celebrates International Freelancers Day

 

Avoid Common Errors When Showing Your Design Portfolio

DESIGNERS. A new guide entitled “Creating and Presenting a Powerful Portfolio” can help you avoid some common mistakes when presenting your work to advertising a marketing executives. The guide was produced by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service for creative professionals.

To identify the most common mistakes, The Creative Group commissioned an independent research firm to conduct a national survey of advertising and marketing executives.

The number-one complaint voiced by survey respondents was that portfolios that showed more style than substance. Thirty-two percent of advertising and marketing executives interviewed said the biggest misstep creative professionals make when assembling their portfolios is including samples that don’t show value provided to the company. Lack of organization was the second most common blunder, cited by 19 percent of respondents.

The chart below shows how advertising and marketing executives responded when asked, “In your opinion, which of the following is the single most common mistake creative professionals make when assembling a portfolio that will be presented to a potential employer?”

“Creative professionals often think their work speaks for itself and, unfortunately, it doesn’t,” said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group. “Compelling design has a story behind it, and it’s vital for job seekers to provide that narrative so employers can see how they think and solve business problems.”

The Creative Group offers four tips for building and presenting a portfolio that demonstrates value to potential employers:

Prepare. Before meeting with a hiring manager, research the organization to assess its particular needs and which work samples might best address them. Also, ask the prospective employer about the format of the portfolio review process. For example, find out how long you’ll have to present, how many people will be in attendance and whether they prefer to review hard-copy or online samples.

Paint a clear picture. Make it easy for reviewers to evaluate your book and recognize what you can bring to the company. Label each piece with the client’s name (assuming you have their permission), project objective, your role, and any positive outcomes.

Talk the talk. Presenting your work confidently and intelligently can make hiring managers take a second look at samples they may otherwise have missed. Develop short, engaging sound bites that tell the story of how each piece solved a business problem or filled a specific need. Don’t be afraid to show enthusiasm and passion for your work.

Take it for a test run. Before you officially present your book, turn to a trusted colleague, mentor or member of your professional network for feedback. Consider using social media sites to solicit critiques from your online contacts. This can help you fine-tune the content and delivery of your portfolio.

About the Survey
The national study was developed by The Creative Group and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 500 telephone interviews — approximately 375 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

About The Creative Group
The Creative Group specializes in placing a range of highly skilled interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis. More information, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and The Creative Group’s award-winning career magazine, can be found at www.creativegroup.com.

LINKS

Free Guide: Creating and Presenting a Powerful Portfolio

RELATED POSTS

The Creative Group Publishes 2011 Salary Guide

Report Describes the Creative Team of the Future

 

 

Streaming Museum Gives Artists Worldwide Exposure

ARTISTS. DESIGNERS. Have you heard about the Streaming Museum? I hadn’t, until I received a news release from Brazilian architect and urban planner Emanuel Dimas de Melo Pimenta. The news release describes his vision of a new approach to designing Earth-orbiting structures, such as hotels and observatories that would accommodate larger numbers of space tourists. His ideas are depicted in the “Kairos” exhibition which opened at the Streaming Museum earlier this month.

About the Streaming Museum

Launched January 29, 2008, Streaming Museum is a hybrid museum that presents multimedia exhibitions in cyberspace and public space on seven continents and live programming at partnering cultural centers. The exhibitions are generated in collaboration with international cultural, educational, and public centers and artists, curators and visionary creators.

Streaming Museum is produced in New York, and broadcast to sites such as the city’s Big Screen Plaza. The museum’s exhibitions have been seen on big, outdoor screens in cities such as Milan, Italy; Seoul, South Korea; Melbourne, Australia; Bucharest, Romania; Port Elizabeth, South Africa; and in multiple cities in England. Exhibitions have also been streamed to South Korea, Norway, Greece, and Argentina’s Jubany Scientific Base in Antarctica.

Screen in the Piazza Duomo, Milan, Italy

One goal of the museum is to emphasize the role of the arts and technology in global society. Art of all cultures is presented side-by-side symbolizing society’s global interconnectedness and the valuable contributions that all cultures provide.

The inaugural exhibition of the Streaming Museum honored pioneering video artist Nam June Paik and his 1970s-era prediction of an electronic superhighway as a free medium for imagination and the exchange of cultures. This first exhibition was viewed at one public-screen location on each of the seven continents at precisely the same time. Since then, Streaming Museum exhibitions have been viewed at over 45 locations worldwide.

According to Streaming Museum’s founder and creative director Nina Colosi, the idea for creating an ongoing international distribution network for art and culture originated in 2004 when she was working with media artist, curator, and professor Zhang Ga on his global public artwork: “People’s Portrait.” Zhang Ga installed picture-taking kiosks next to large screens in major international cities and connected them to a central server via the Internet. People could snap their pictures and view them on the adjacent screen, along with portraits of people from the other cities.

Colosi describes the Streaming Museum’s exhibitions as “a mash-up/sampling/remix of fine art and pop culture that make up a portrait of the contemporary world.”

She said the museum curates exhibitions of emerging and established artists. In addition to exhibitions similar to those you can see in the museum’s archives, the museum is planning new exhibitions of interactive work, augmented reality, gaming, and performing arts.

“We keep a file of work by artists who submit to us, with special consideration given to artists recommended by colleagues.” said Colosi.

Exhibitions can circulate for an indefinite period, and artworks can be exhibited across multiple platforms—online, in public spaces, and at partnering cultural and commercial centers.

“For example,” says Colosi. “Over the course of three years, Mark Amerika’s ‘Immobilite’ remixes and John Simon’s ‘HD Traffic’ and other artworks have been viewed throughout the global network and also presented in a live performance at Juilliard at Lincoln Center and exhibited at The Project Room for New Media at Chelsea Art Museum.

Colosi reports that artists whose work has been featured in the Streaming Museum have gained the attention of other curators and have been invited to participate in other projects. She considers one of the best benefits of exhibiting art through the Streaming Museum is “enriching a global demographic that may not have the opportunity to see art.”

LINKS

Streaming Museum

The Project Room for New Media and Performing Arts

About the Kairos Project

Kairos represents a new approach to architecture that imagines a time when architects are asked to design buildings that don’t have to consider Earth’s gravity. As architect Emanuel Pimenta points out, “Until now, the entire history of architecture is based on the force of gravity.” But there may come a time when human expansion on Earth will no longer be possible. Thus, Pimenta says Kairos is “also a questioning about a new civilizational leap.”

“Until now, we have had no example of true architecture in space,” he explains. “Buildings related to satellites or space stations have been focused on tubular systems—a heritage from missile design.” The type or orbiting structure that Pimenta has envisioned is totally tensioned, with flexible, antiballistic fabrics and internal movable walls.

"Kairos" by Emanuel Pimenta

“We could call it a water building, because all walls are filled with water,” he points out. “It is completely deprogrammable, which means the original program, the functions of each internal space, can be easily and quickly changed at low cost.”

Pimenta views his architectural design as conceptual artwork. But the building design also takes into account technological challenges such as energy, water, exposure to space junk, and how the absence of Earth’s gravity will affect the spatial orientation of building occupants. To help others understand his vision, Pimenta has produced a series of drawings, digital images, a movie, and book.

After being launched at New York’s Streaming Museum, Kairos will continue on a year-long tour through the Streaming Museum’s global network of screens in public spaces. In October, the exhibition will also be shown at the Robotarium contemporary art and technology center in Lisbon, Portugal. The book, “Kairos: A Bird Orbiting Planet Earth” will debut on Amazon.com in November.

LINKS

“Kairos” by Emanuel Pimenta

About Emanuel Pimenta

 

Conference Celebrates International Freelancers Day Sept. 23

International Freelancers Day is a global initiative to celebrate independent workers and the tremendous impact they have on our economic growth. The movement was founded by three long-term freelancers–Steve Slaunwhite, Pete Savage and Ed Gandia–who are experts in the freelance market, making the transition into self-employment, and building a profitable and enjoyable solo business.

International Freelancers Day will be celebrated on Friday, September 23 with a free, online video conference that is expected to connect tens of thousands of independent workers and other viewers from all over the globe. The conference will start at 10 am EST and run through 6:30 pm.

Gandia, Savage, Slaunwhite, and 14 other authors and thought leaders will present sessions on topics such as pricing, attracting clients, working more productively, outsourcing administrative tasks, promoting yourself, and growing your business. The goal of the conference is to offer strategies that can help take your “business of one” to the next level.

“With many economists and thought leaders heralding the arrival of the ‘freelance economy,’ there’s never been a better time to celebrate freelancers and solo professionals the world over,” says Ed Gandia, co-author of “The Wealthy Freelancer.”

A record number of professionals are currently pursuing freelance work — either by necessity or simply because they want to. According U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, one-third of the workforce is now self-employed or freelance. As a growing portion of the labor force continues to shift in this direction (a 10% year-to-date increase, according to SurePayroll’s Small Business Scorecard Review in July) many of these professionals are now seeking better ways to not just survive — but to thrive — in the new “gig economy.”

Register for the free conference at: http://www.internationalfreelancersday.com

2011 Freelance Industry Report

Earlier this month, Ed Gandia released the “2011 Freelance Industry Report: Data and Analysis of Freelancer Demographics, Earnings, Habits, and Attitudes.” The report presents data from more than 1200 freelancers who responded to a survey conducted through Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail during a nine-day period in August, 2011.

Self-employed individuals from 37 different fields responded to Gandia’s survey. The report tabulated statistics and findings from the top 10 fields represented among the respondents:

  • Writer (18% of respondents)
  • Copywriter (12%)
  • Designer (11%)
  • Translator (9%)
  • Web developer (7%)
  • Editor/copy editor (6%)
  • Marketing professional (4%)
  • Business consultant (4%)
  • Software developer (3%)
  • Virtual assistant (2%)

2011 Freelance Industry Report by Ed GandiaOther types of freelancers who responded to the survey included bloggers, illustrators, photographers, video editors, authors, SEO specialists/consultants, fashion designers, videographers, accountants, engineers, bookkeepers, and social-media consultants.

The report includes 70 charts that provide insight such as:

  • The biggest challenges freelancers face and how those challenges differ by profession, location, experience and other factors.
  • Attitudes toward freelancing, the economy’s impact on freelance work, and freelancers’ business outlook for the next 12 months.
  • Income trends, hourly rates, billable time, and how different freelancers price their services.
  • Lifestyle choices, including average hours worked, the importance of free time and flexibility, and attitudes toward re-entering the traditional workforce.
  • How freelancers attract clients today, how much time they spend promoting their services and what marketing strategies they’re planning to implement over the next year.

One major finding is that “Professionals who are freelancing as a result of a layoff or being downsized are more likely to earn less as a freelancer than peers who planned their way to self-employment. However, 80% of these ‘accidental’ freelancers are much happier now than they were as employees.”

Download the free 50-page report  from the International Freelancers Day website.

LINKS

International Freelancers Day Conference

2011 Freelance Industry Report by Ed Gandia

Book: The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle

 

Fast-Growing Digital Signage Market Needs Top-Notch Design

DESIGNERS. Digital signage is quickly gaining favor as a powerful new medium for advertising, information display, and entertainment. According to a recent report by Global Industry Analysts, the global digital signage market will grow to $13.8 billion by 2017. While the retail sector remains the prime end-user of digital signage technology, the GIA analysts expect growth to occur in other market segments such as financial services, transportation, and hospitality.

Some digital signage systems are being sold as end-to-end solutions, encompassing installation, consulting, content creation, content management, and support. But in a post on Digital Signage Today, BrightSigns CEO Jeff Hastings explains why “Using Professional Digital Content Developers Just Makes Sense.”

Although some budget-conscious small business owners might prefer using turnkey, ‘in-the-box” software and design templates to create, schedule, update, and monitor high-definition displays, Hastings points out that, “The content displayed on the digital sign is by far the most important in determining the success or failure of the digital signage.”

He advises hiring professional content developers who know how to use tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Cinema 4D and Maya for motion graphics, and Final Cut with video editing. With these tools, creative pros can use content that can be used not just for digital signage, but also for websites, advertising, brochures, and mobile marketing.

For example, the image below shows how moving images on a backwall display are closely tied to the images on freestanding and tabletop displays. Hastings points out that audiences have come to expect top-notch visuals.

Photo courtesy of BrightSign: www.brightsign.biz

He writes, “Today’s sophisticated consumers have higher expectations when it comes to the messaging media they view. Since most consumers still watch a tremendous amount of TV network programming and Hollywood movies, they have an expectation of highly produced content.”

In his post, Hastings quotes Kirk VanderLeest, vice-president of the video-production house Flixio, in Oregon City, Oregon: “Basically, digital signage is all about the content, and the last thing you want to do is to be limited by the creation software for your final content. We recommend having professional content developers create the absolute best content they can, and then let the digital signage software do what it’s good for–distributing and managing the content.”

As demand for digital signage grows, so will opportunities for designers. When we asked Flixio Creative Director McKay Marshall about what types of skills he would look for when hiring new creatives, he told us: “Because the boundaries of digital signage change daily, we’re looking for creatives who can think “outside the frame.” Gone are the days of 4:3 aspect ratios, and 16:9 formats are becoming more and more nebulous. Sometimes it’s rocked over on its side. Sometimes it’s joined by a wall of 30 other screens. Being able to ideate independent of one particular format creates separation among designers, and delineates the success of companies.”

Marshall offered this advice for creatives who might want to get into the digital signage field: “Focus on what it is that you look at as you go throughout your day. You can learn a lot about what works in design by being cognizant of where your own attention is spent. Remember that digital signage differs from other motion and time-based mediums in that it is first and foremost a sign. Work out your design as a static concept, then bring it into animation after it succeeds as a still image.”

LINKS

Digital Signage Today: Using Professional Digital Content Developers Just Makes Sense

Press Release: Global Digital Signage Market to Reach $13.8 Billion by 2017

BrightSign

Flixio

 

Marketing and Ad Execs See Modest Increase in Hiring in Q4

The hiring of full-time creative and marketing professionals is expected to increase slightly in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to the most recent The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals.

Twenty-five percent of executives interviewed said they plan to add full-time staff in the next three months, and 5 percent forecast reductions in personnel. The resulting net 20 percent of executives anticipating hiring is up one point from the third-quarter forecast.

The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing interactive, design and marketing professionals on a project and full-time basis, and conducted by an independent research firm.

Key Findings

The findings are based on more than 500 telephone interviews—approximately 375 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 125 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

  • The net 20 percent of executives planning to hire is up one point from third-quarter projections.
  • 57 percent of executives said it’s challenging to find skilled creative professionals today, up 15 points from the previous quarter.
  • 8 to 9 percent of marketing and advertising executives are confident in their companies’ growth prospects for the fourth quarter, a two-point increase from the third-quarter projection.
  • Web design/production, account services, and social media are the specialties in greatest demand among the survey respondents.

“As more business is conducted online and via mobile devices, companies are moving quickly to promote their products and services using a variety of channels,” said Donna Farrugia, executive director of The Creative Group. “Experienced web designers and developers, and marketing professionals with proven success executing innovative social media campaigns, are sought by organizations of all types and sizes.”

Marketing and Advertising Specialties in Demand

When executives were asked in which areas they plan to add staff, web design/production ranked first, with 25 percent of the response, followed by account services (23 percent) and social media (22 percent). The 57 percent of executives who said it’s challenging for their firms to find skilled creative professionals, is up 15 points from the previous quarter’s survey.

Marketing and advertising executives were asked, “In which of the following areas do you expect to hire in the fourth quarter of 2011?” The top responses are shown in the chart below:

Perspectives on Business Growth

Marketing and advertising executives’ confidence in their ability to attract new business increased slightly from last quarter: Eighty-nine percent of those interviewed said they were somewhat or very confident in their firms’ prospects for growth in the fourth quarter, up two points from the third-quarter survey.

LINKS

About The Creative Group

 

Author Urges Introverts to Reclaim Their Time and Space

If you’ve ever felt out of place or distracted in a workplace culture that emphasizes fun, constant collaboration, and endless team meetings, here’s a book that will reassure you that you’re not weird. It’s called “Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is Your Hidden Strength” and was written by psychologist Laurie Helgoe, Ph.D. I acquired the book after reading an article the author had written in Psychology Today magazine. The cover slug for the magazine article was “Revenge of the Introverts.”

Book Introvert Power by Laurie HelgoeAs an introvert myself, I found Dr. Helgoe’s insights enlightening, uplifting, and dead-on accurate. She explains why introversion should not be regarded as a deficiency, but rather as a source of power. In the book, she outlines ways introverts can improve both their personal relationships and careers by helping others understand why introverts need space and time to think.

Here are a few points Dr. Helgoe makes that might interest creative professionals (and the people who hire them!)

Introversion is defined as “an inward orientation toward life and extroversion is an outward orientation.” Although all of us use both introversion and extroversion at different times of our lives, one of these orientations generally feels more natural and more energizing. Introverts gain energy through internal reflection; extroverts gain energy through interactions with others. Conversely, extroverts expend energy reflecting and introverts expend energy interacting.

Introverts outnumber extroverts in the U.S. by a 57% to 43% majority, according to the most recent population studies published in the “MBTI Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.” However, introverts often go unseen because American culture values extroversion. In cultures such as Japan and Norway, introversion is more highly valued.

Introverts should not be viewed as withdrawn loners, who are quiet and scared. As Dr. Helgoe points out, “We’re not anti-social, asocial, or socially inept. Rather, we get energized and excited by ideas.” Instead of having multiple, superficial interactions (e.g. at crowded, noisy parties), introverts tend to prefer spacious interactions with fewer people. Some introverts do well in people-oriented professions, but often need to reserve some alone time after work.

When introverts converse, we are more interested in sharing ideas than news and gossip about other people. We listen well, think first, and talk later. We often prefer communicating in writing, because we can express ourselves without intrusion or interruption. Introverts can find parties exhausting, unless we can find a like-minded person who wants an in-depth discussion of ideas.

Introverts tend to collect thoughts, and sort them about when they are alone. Introverts use solitude to make sense of the present and future. Extroverts get bored by too much solitude.

People enjoy the products that introverts create. As Dr. Helgoe puts it, “Introverts talk to us every day through their stories, theories, movies, technology, paintings, songs, and inventions.” For the introvert, conversation can be a very limited form of expression.

People are often drawn to the quiet introverts in the room. When introverts choose to speak, they often raise challenging questions and new perspectives.

It’s shortsighted to see introverts as grumpy loners hunched over their computers for hours and hours on end. What people aren’t recognizing is that introverts are usually deeply engaged in the flow of creation. Getting “in the zone” is energizing and exciting.

To succeed at work, Dr. Helgoe advises introverts to seek jobs that allow a more desirable balance between work that feels “natural” and work that feels “imposed.” Introverts often seek out creative jobs that they imagine would feel “natural.” But sometimes these jobs leave introverts disappointed and frustrated, because they get interrupted so often or are assigned work that seems meaningless or at odds with their ideals.

Dr. Helgoe writes that, “Executives and managers need to consider how introverts—at least half of their workforce—produce. Employees require energy to produce and, conveniently, introverts come with their own generators.” Instead of trying to entertain us with lots of chatter and team-building meetings and parties, “mute the chatter, and give us some space.”

Instead of insisting that introverts attend brainstorming meetings, allow them to submit written ideas. For many employees, “less is more: less discussion, fewer meetings, and less so-called fun.”

That doesn’t mean introverts should be allowed to totally isolate themselves off and appear grumpy and unwilling to collaborate. Instead, Dr. Helgoe urges introverts to make the rounds to the people who are most likely to intrude and tell them that you are organizing your day to minimize interruptions: “Ask them what they’ll need from you, jot it down, and once you’ve collected these requests, retire to your space.”

And, she recommends that, “When you negotiate a new job or a raise, be upfront that your strong suit is your ability to work independently and pursue answers without interrupting others.”

Dr. Helgoe believes that properly managed introverts can efficiently advance every field of human endeavor, from science to business and education to politics: “Leaders only need to drop the scales from their eyes to produce more—much more—with the people they already employ.”

In the intro to the book, Dr. Helgoe writes “Introverts, it is time for us to claim our space, our time, and our vitality.”

LINKS

Laurie Helgoe’s Website: Introvert Power

Psychology Today: Revenge of the Introvert

Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is Your Hidden Strength

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